With the Tinderbox StretchText writing system, the reader chooses what level of detail to read and print.
Writers have always been plagued with the dual tension between disturbing the reader's flow and disturbing the full disclosure of information at the appropriate location. Footnotes and endnotes often feel hidden. With electronic marginal notes, you can accomplish the best of both worlds.
Tinderbox is a versatile personal content manager which lets you create, organize, and view your ideas in whatever ways you normally think.

Tinderbox Stretchtext Writing System

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation which followed too many rabbit trails? Have you ever read an article which did the same? What if you could have digressions and concise style in the same document?

Do you:

  • need to write documents which appeal to laypeople and experts?
  • struggle with an inability to show the context of a quote without losing your readers?
  • wish you could create links which include explanations and multiple possible destinations?
  • need to publish information to the web, but find yourself dissatisfied with the terse, flat writing it encourages?

These are just a few reasons the Tinderbox Stretchtext Writing System can help you write a better document. more uses... 

According to Theodor H. Nelson, who first wrote about Stretchtext in 1967, such systems help readers because " The reader remains oriented " » . Additionally, such systems also help the writer remain oriented, since it removes your obstacles for good writing.


(download now)

Downloading and Installing

If you are already a user of Tinderbox, by Eastgate Systems, you can download the Stretchtext system by clicking on the download link.

Of course, you will also need a copy of Tinderbox. If you don't own copy of Tinderbox, download the demo. You can use the demo to load the stretchtext file and play around with creating documents, even if you won't be able to actually create web-publishable stretchtexts.

The online description of the process of creating and publishing your stretchtext is also available inside the download, where it will probably make more sense.

Practical Theoretical Systems

The Tinderbox Stretchtext Writing System isn't a new idea or even a new invention. A form of Stretchtext is even available to users of Microsoft Office.

Instead of introducing new ideas, this system intends to bring many existing ideas onto a single, easy-to-use palette. This is why it is template extension to Tinderbox, a writing and information tool by Eastgate Systems. Stretchtext is one part in my attempt to use Tinderbox as a complete solution for brainstorming, researching, composing, and publishing print and electronic academic material.

Documentation, customization information, and licensing information can be found on an adjoining page in this file.

J. Nathan Matias (w)
Copyright © 2006 J. Nathan Matias